Lindsey Graham shuts down John Kasich's plan to promote 'Judeo-Christian values' in the Middle East: 'I think that was the Crusades'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has taken some wind out of Gov. John Kasich's sails, informing the Ohio governor that his plan for a Judeo-Christian agency in the Middle East has a sinister historical precedent.

"U.S. public diplomacy and international broadcasting have lost their focus on the case for Western values and ideals and effectively countering our opponents' propaganda and disinformation," Kasich said Tuesday. "I will consolidate them into a new agency that has a clear mandate to promote the core, Judeo-Christian Western values that we and our friends and allies share."

Graham responded sharply to Kasich's plan in conversation with Real Clear Politics: "I don't think we should be promoting Judeo-Christian values in the Arab world. I think that was the Crusades," he said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The South Carolina senator proposed instead that the U.S. should dedicate 10,000 troops to back Iraq and combat ISIS.